PARIS.- The wave of indignation over a passage from the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics took a legal turn on Tuesday, when the DJ who performed at the show reported that her lawyer filed a demand for the threats and other abuses the LGBTQ+ icon has suffered following the inauguration.
Barbara Butch’s lawyer reported in a letter posted on the DJ’s Instagram account that Butch “has been threatened with death, torture and rape, and has also been subjected to numerous anti-Semitic, homophobic, sexist and rude insults.”
Butch’s agent confirmed to The Associated Press that the Instagram account belongs to the DJ.
Although the ceremony’s artistic director, Thomas Jolly, has repeatedly said he was not inspired by “The Last Supper,” critics interpreted the part of the show featuring Butch as a mockery of Leonardo Da Vinci’s painting of Jesus Christ and his apostles.
Butch, who calls herself a “love activist,” wore a silver halo-like ornament as she hosted a party during her segment of the show. Drag performers, dancers and others flanked Butch on either side.
French Catholic bishops and others were among those who said Christians felt hurt and offended. Paris Olympics organisers argued that “there was never any intention to show disrespect to any religious group” and that the intention was to “celebrate the tolerance of the community”.
Jolly said he saw the moment as a celebration of diversity and the table at which Butch played his songs as a tribute to French gastronomy and partying.
“My desire is not to be subversive, nor to mock or to shock,” Jolly said. “Above all, I wanted to send a message of love, a message of inclusion and not to divide at all.”
The statement from Butch’s lawyer, Audrey Msellati, said she was filing several complaints. Typically, French judicial authorities examine such complaints and determine whether a formal police investigation should be launched.
The statement said Butch has been “the target of an extremely violent campaign of cyberbullying and defamation.”
Butch’s Words
In a statement of his own, also posted on Instagram, Butch said: “No matter what some people say, I exist. I have never been ashamed of who I am and I take responsibility for everything, including my artistic choices. All my life I have refused to be a victim – I will not be silent.”
Her lawyer’s statement said legal charges would be filed regardless of whether they were “committed by French or foreign citizens and that she intends to prosecute anyone who attempts to intimidate her in the future.”
She said she felt “extremely honored” to perform at Friday’s ceremony and that “my heart is still full of joy.”
“I am committed and proud. Proud of who I am, of what I am and of what I represent, both for my loved ones and for millions of French people. My France is France!” she wrote.
Source: AP